(LOT 447)
1909 T206 Cy Young Portrait "Old Mill" Cigarettes (PSA 1)
Among the most coveted of all T206 subjects is the highly prestigious Cy Young "portrait" specimen that is presented here in an eye pleasing PSA 1 holder. More significantly, it carries the seldom surfacing Old Mill Cigarettes ad-back, with only 9 Old Mill Cy Young portrait specimens listed on the prestigious PSA "Pop" Chart! Indeed, along with Brown Hindu (7 listed examples) and EPDG (8 listed examples), Old Mill subjects are one of the scarcest of the Cy Young portrait T206s. Any Cy Young portrait example depicting the classic Carl Horner illustration is highly desirable, let alone that exhibits a scarce Old Mill verso.

Cy Young is the legendary author of baseball's unbreakable record of 511 lifetime victories, justifying why baseball chose his name to represent the annual pitching excellence award. His "Cy" nickname was achieved early in his career when one of his fastball blew past a catcher and shattered a nearby fence, prompting a newspaper reporter to compare Young's fastball to a destructive "Cyclone"! Obviously, the nickname stuck, with Young referred to as "Cy" the remainder of his incomparable career. Regarding its condition, most would agree the overall eye appeal surpass the rather harsh grade.

The well-centered iconic Young image is only compromised a few vertical creases that do not impede its fine aesthetics, with no glaring flaws evident on either side. The critical Old Mill advertisement is completely intact, the corners reveal uniform rounding and some negligible stains appear near both of the lower corners on the reverse side. A super Cy Young cardboard scarcity, it will surely find a new home in any sophisticated T206 compilation!

MIN BID $300
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